1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to wall vents and, more particularly, combustion air wall vents adapted for use with exterior walls having a stucco type finish.
2. Description of Related Art
During the summertime in the southwest United States and in climatologically similar areas, the temperature in an unvented enclosed garage increases to well over 100xc2x0 F. Such a high temperature may cause damage or deterioration to temperature sensitive items stored or otherwise disposed within such a garage. Moreover, the high temperatures render it very uncomfortable for a person working within the garage. To alleviate this problem, it is not uncommon to install vents in one or more exterior walls of a garage to permit airflow into and out of the garage.
The simplest of such vents are a louvered panel of relatively light weight material nailed or screwed to the exterior surface of a wall in juxtaposed relationship with the corresponding aperture. Such light weight louvered panels are easily removed by a person intending to commit mischief within the garage. Other more robust vents have been used in conventional walls which are designed to preclude removal from outside the wall.
In the southwest, stucco type walls are a common treatment to exterior walls. Existing vents for use with such walls generally fail to accommodate the unique properties attendant the construction of stucco wall surfaces and cause the vent and surrounding stucco to be unsightly and generally unacceptable from an aesthetic viewpoint. Additionally, sealing the junction between conventional vents and the stucco is of questionable merit and water readily flows therebetween as a result of rain or other wetting of the exterior wall.
Many residential garages have gas fired water heaters located therein. These heaters require make-up air to provide a continuing source of oxygen to maintain complete combustion and reduce the emission of deadly carbon monoxide. Many municipalities are redrafting or adopting building codes that require vents in an exterior wall enclosing a gas fired water heater. Generally, such vents must be within 12 inches of the ceiling and of the floor to insure an adequate source of make-up air through convection or otherwise. As mentioned above, many presently available vents for this purpose are either inadequate as security devices to preclude entry into the garage, are unsightly or compromise the integrity of the exterior wall against intrusion of elements.
A louvered panel is supported by top, bottom, left and right sidewalls forming a boxlike structure. Right angled flanges extend from the edges of the top, bottom, left and right sidewalls for attachment by nails or screws to an underlying frame defining the opening covered by the vent. A screen serving as an insect barrier is juxtaposed with the interior surface of the louvered panel and held in place by tabs bent inwardly from one or more of the top, bottom, left and right sidewalls. Upon bending of the tabs, slots are formed that may serve as openings through which the nails or screws are inserted to secure the vent in place. Thereby, the vent includes several labor saving features to minimize installation time. The depth of the top, bottom, left and right sidewalls corresponds with the width of conventional stucco wall construction external of the supporting studs (or framing) whereby the louvered panel is flush with the stucco wall and the stucco forms a weather tight seal about the vent.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a labor saving easy to install combustion air vent for use with an exterior wall having a stucco finish.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a combustion air vent for an exterior wall which is impossible to remove without major damage to the exterior wall.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a vent having an insect screen retained in place by bent tabs.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a combustion air vent precluding unwanted intrusion therethrough.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a combustion air vent secured in place prior to applying a stucco finish to the attendant exterior wall.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a combustion air vent in sealed engagement with a surrounding stucco wall finish.
A yet further object of the present invention is to provide an easily installable combustion air vent and method for installing same.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the description thereof proceeds.